Work in Progress
by Succinct Disquisition
Summary: Five times an Avenger said something stupid that upset the team and one time the stupid thing that was said was the right thing to say.
1. Prince Thor

"I'm sorry, you want us to what?" Bruce asked, quirking a brow, not sure he actually just heard the blond right.

Thor had a sketchy smile plastered across his face that made the air in the room tense. He was not lying. Everyone knew that. Dishonesty was not in Thor's nature but that did not stop the others from feeling nervous about his announcement. "My father has arranged a feast in my honor. I would have you, my friends, accompany me to such an event." The grin on the prince's handsome face looked positively wicked as the Asgardian tried to fool his team.

Natasha's vibrant emerald orbs made contact with Bruce's gaze for a meaningful moment before both turned to see Clint's practically dumbstruck expression. The Russian's visage was a cool mask when her calculating eyes fell back to the alien's face. "We will not be going anywhere until we know exactly what we're facing."

Thor gave the heroes a grounding look. "It is a meal with my family. There is no secret mission involved."

"Your family? The one with your brother, Loki, the god of mischief right? The guy who tried to kill all of us, and take over the world. That's who we're going to go to dinner with. Seriously? Him and Mr. Banishment?" Tony blurted enthusiastically just to make it clear he was appalled by the notion.

Thor nodded with a frown that said they were treading on very thin ice, talking about his family like that. "Loki will be present, yes, but it is my father to whom I will present you."

Clint made a face as if he had just bitten into a lime. "Present us? What the hell does that mean? Is this going to be one of those things where you dress us up in weird court garb and we talk all old Englishy?"

"Let's not make fun of each other's customs." Steve chided in a tight mumble. The super soldier regarded the Asgardian seriously. "But what you're saying is, you want us, all of us, to meet your parents."

Thor nodded jerkily. "Yes, it is as you say. I wish to present my new family to my birth family."

"And Loki," Tony reminded.

Natasha followed it up quickly. "Why?"

Clint shrugged and responded with a hand thrown across his face in an exaggerated motion. "Because it's romantic."

"Because it's the proper thing to do." Steve asserted.

Bruce could not stop the laugh that came bubbling out of him at that. He weighed the options himself as the two more skeptical Avengers put up their objections to the idea. "No Thor, it's too dangerous." "Do you even know that it's safe to bring humans across the border?"

Thor creased his brow at Tony's question. "The bridge has been lowered a fortnight, iron brother."

Clint threw up his arms. "Well that settles it. We have to speak old English. I'm out."

Thor scowled at the archer. "Do not 'get out' Clinton. You have not considered my reasoning."

"What is you reasoning, Thor?" Bruce cut in before the conversation could digress into something headache inducing. Poor Thor had been trying to talk to them into visiting Asgard for the second half of September. The physicist was starting to get a sinking feeling about the situation. Something definitely had Thor worried. Thor was not normally a tense man.

Bruce gaped. He didn't feel self conscious about the gesture. He wasn't the only one gaping.

A month. That was all that had elapsed since the Avengers had been enlisted by the Asgardian prince to pick up the Evresyen stone. One month was all it took for the king of Asgard to want to meet his son's formidable alien friends. It had only been a month since the mostly human Avengers had laid eyes on Asgard. But that wasn't Asgard.

This was Asgard. What was represented by pale golden towers in a miniature hologram, gleamed now in their monstrous spiraling splendor. The physicist could get a nose bleed just thinking of climbing the spectacular towers. The color of the alien dimension was what television producers wished high definition would be. They were literally out of this world. The rainbow bridge the team had walked in on was a pale sparkling thing, about as opaque and substantial in appearance as an Earthen rainbow might be too. That seemed to be the end of pale on Asgard. Everything was eye jarringly vibrant. People and objects alike seemed to have that sun kissed glow that made Thor always stick out in a crowd.

"How can you stand this place?" Natasha asked, looking bewildered by her standard.

Clint scanned the barely crowded bazaar in his methodical way. He sounded just as overwhelmed as Bruce felt. "How can you stand Earth?"

Thor gave the pair of agents a puzzled brow quirk, ushering the slack jawed team around a corner to a grand stair case leading... Well, up was all Bruce could discern.

There were many muted golden stairs mixed in with whimsical, lace like archways and frighteningly thin bridges miles above the ground. The ground and whatever platform they were all on because that rainbow road was not even remotely close to sea level.

As it turned out, that first wide staircase was just the entrance to one of the gigantic towers that stood proudly above the city. Inside the broad gleaming base was just a dull brown round room. Bruce turned around several times as Thor shut the enormous double doors and sealed the six of them within a seamless appearing chamber.

"Okay Thor. Question time. Why are we in prison when we could be out mingling with that Asgardian fabric babe?" Tony quickly complained while Bruce marveled at the lighting without discernible source.

Thor frowned at his bearded lover. "I did not transport you here to converse with commoners, Man of Iron."

Tony lowered his face plate with a frown at his suddenly dispassionate looking Asgardian host. "Commoners?"

Clint groaned and fingered his gear like he did when nervous. "Are you saying that everyone here looks like super models?"

Thor nodded with a resolute expression. "Aye, the people of Asgard are endowed by many qualities heroes of Midgard covet. Few can hold their might against that of the wielder of M'jlnir, in any world." The thunderous man boasted.

Steve put his palm to his face. "I think we might need to revisit models on your vocabulary flash cards, Thor."

The billionaire grinned. "Capital idea Miss-ter America. I still think the best way to learn the concept would be with pictures. Just a few pics. Tasteful, I swear. I'm thinking, G strings for you and the lady."

"No, Tony." Bruce heard his own voice saying before the image ever made its raunchy way into his mind. "Thor, where are we?"

The prince nodded to the more serious members of the team. "You may wish to distance yourself from the wall Little Hawk." He beckoned the archer who forced a nonchalant shrug before joining the group in the middle of the room. Clint had been examining the seamless walls more closely, probably searching for an exit. "This is an entrance to the Asgardian Palace proper. I fear its effects on Midgardians is thus far unknown. I shall now command our place onto my chambers."

"Excuse me?"

"What?"

"I don't understand."

In a moment, Bruce did understand, sort of. An alien type transporting technology made every nerve in the scientist's body tingle and his curly hair stand on end. He abruptly stood on a balcony, looking through gossamer curtains into a bedroom grander than even Tony's.

"Are you well, my friends?" Thor asked earnestly. Behind him were more inhumanly rich colors, fine fabrics, and rare stone embellishments. Foreign books sat on a granite stand next to the enormous red sheeted bed along with a few titles Bruce remembered suggesting the god read. Thor's bedroom had no electronics but dripped regality. It reminded Bruce of an old palace from history books.

"Yeah-uh." Ironman answered meekly before his voice broke off. Bruce gently shook his lab partner's shoulder. "Wha- oh. Yeah, I don't like it here. This is like some messed up drug trip. Can't we just pop in, say hi to the folks, then jet?"

Thor frowned, looking his own version of regal nervous. "Pop in? Jet?" The god repeated curiously.

Bruce shook his head, blinking and trying to acclimate to the rich color and atmosphere of the Asgardian room. "I'm inclined to agree, but I think we should give the place a chance. We've already made the trip and an opportunity like this doesn't come by everyday." The decisive statement was coupled with unspoken desires when the quiet scientist was distracted by ideas of what Thor's bed sheets might feel like. The god liked to be naked but some of his clothes from this world were very soft.

Clint interrupted the physicist's fantasies abruptly. "Doc's right. We're Avengers, not kittens. We are the improvision experts of Earth. Let's take the weird and roll with it. When do we meet Papa Thunder, Thor?"

The Asgardian grinned, relaxing for the first time since returning to his home world. "I thank thee, Little Hawk, Good Doctor. I shall like to present you at the arrivals. For the time, I thought to show you my works as I've not been able to describe them when in Midgard."

Steve perked up at 'works'. "You do art too, Thor?" It was difficult to imagine the boisterous man quietly nestled somewhere with a sketch book like the super soldier.

The thunder god made a noncommittal gesture and motioned his Earthen lovers across the threshold after him. Thor proudly strutted to a tapestry off of the massive chamber and tossed the intricate fabric aside to expose a side room brimming with wooden chests trimmed with metal. The large blond moved to crouch before one of the larger containers and lifted the steel plated top to arrange the contents carefully, explaining, "As prince of Asgard, there were certain expectations I was to uphold. Many were completed entirely of obligation but a few held my interest. Smithing was one of my favored lessons. Please, I've wanted to share my creations with you some time. Anthony, you may learn some new techniques of Asgard. Your 'spot welding' left me speechless at first glance."

Tony pushed ahead of the others to shift a proffered simple machine in his hands. The bearded genius was intense, his coffee eyes scanning every smoothly wrought hinge of the device. His dark brows drew down in a contemplative V. "It pulls something... from... a softer material."

Thor smiled and Bruce was shocked to realize his princely lover was actually seeking the engineer's approval. It never occurred to him that the demigod ever needed encouragement or reinforcement. Thor was always so self assured on his own.

"Aye, I had need of such a device for collecting trophies. Serpent's fangs, great claws, and the horns of beasts. They are all displayed to my father's liking. Those I have kept are mere keepsakes, nothing noteworthy." Bruce gaped as the Asgardian blushed at the admission.

Thor- THOR! Invented a machine to collect apparently rather sizable trophies off of who knows what sorts of monsters but did not want to bore them with the actual pieces of the beasts. "I have to see them. All of them. For uh- science." The bespectacled man managed to blurt out.

Thor blinked and his face darkened further. "This is not my only work of this kind Bruce Banner. I have other very interesting-"

"I NEED to see the trophies you have Thor." Bruce insisted.

"My father-"

"I would like to see what you've collected too." Natasha added smoothly. Bruce grinned at the woman conspiratorially. She must have read the insecurity in Thor as well. Bruce understood. He would loathe to have the Avengers tread in his childhood home.

Thor let out a heavy breath. "Very well. These are all from my very first extraction device." The demigod mumbled while digging through a leather bound chest. He pulled out a pale tooth, just short of the length of Bruce's hand with a reminiscent smile. "This is the fang of Bhorg's monster." Thor huffed a laugh. "Ole Bhorg knew something was eating his crops. It turned out, the turricks were eating the plants and Bhorg's monster was actually hunting the pests. I believe Ole Bhorg still has the thing on his property. We merely beat the sense from its skull to retrieve this. Not more than babes." He turned old fragile grey eyes up at the physicist as he handed off the time polished tooth.

Bruce smiled at the artifact in his hand, proudly trying to imagine a younger version of his friend knocking the snot out of some giant mammal. He bit his tongue when Clint spoke. "I thought the animals would be bigger from all the stories you told."

Natasha physically hurt the archer with just a tiny twist of the wrist earning her and 'ow'. "You did not start your career in archery by taking down Hydra bots. Every story must have a beginning."

Sharp icy eyes grimaced before turning thoughtful. "I guess you're right. The first thing I hit was- oh God!"

Tony chuckled at the horrified look on Clint's face. "What?"

The archer obstinately shook his head until Thor touched his shoulder gently. "What troubles you?"

Clint frowned childishly up at the long haired blond. "The first animal I ever hit was a hawk. I couldn't even kill it. My brother had to."

Bruce bit his lip, torn between wanting to laugh and cry at his lover's distraught face. "Oh Clint, it's alright. I'm sure it was just its time."

"Getting hit by an arrow is not exactly passing of old age, Bruce." The redheaded assassin pointed out.

The doctor floundered unhelpfully adding, "fate?"

Tony hid a small smile behind his hand. "It probably wanted to die Clint. If it was the first thing you shot, it had to have flown into your arrow's path. I'm sorry, you were a terrible shot."

Clint scowled at the engineer. "You weren't even there."

A chuckle escaped from behind Tony's hand then he dropped the act all together. "Hey, my first robot wasn't anything to write home about either. I was a lonely kid so my first AI was a friend for me to play puzzles with. My first robot-" coffee brown eyes winced and averted their gaze down into the open box full of simple machines. "My first robot was going to be my girlfriend. Thank Thor, she never panned out." He admitted with a blush of his own.

Bruce, Natasha, and Steve all exchanged glances while their embarrassed lovers fiddled anxiously. "Who cares?" The woman finally asked. "I love this stuff Thor. I'm glad Clint shot the bird. And you all know how much pleasure it gives me knowing that Tony was a horny little teenager at some time just like the rest of you. I don't get this Thor. I don't have some embarrassing childhood stories to tell so thanks for at least sharing your first mark with me."

Thor grinned warmly at the heartfelt spiel. "Oh, Bhorg's monster was not an embarrassing endeavor. Allow me to regale you with the tale of the Seaside Witch..."

For hours the six of them talked about anything and everything they remembered from the past. They gabbed about past crushes. They spoke epic tales about childhood missions gone horribly wrong. They told each other what made them who they were. Bruce had never felt better than when he left Thor's chambers, knowing so much more about his unbelievably human superhuman lovers. He even had this wonderful ache in his cheeks from smiling too much when they finally made it down to the hall the party was in.

Bruce lazily drifted from group to group of slightly oversized people, barely buzzing around the Asgardian conversations until a couple of women stopped him in his tracks, literally barring his way with their bodies. "You there- commoner. You are neither of this world or this court. What gall have you to corrupt this gathering with your presence." One beautiful pouty mouth said in a voice as smooth as her polished golden dress.

Bruce craned his head around, searching for Thor but spotting Clint in a suit and Ironman nursing drinks off to the side. "I'm with them actually." He pointed, hoping that was the end of the altercation.

The other woman with high cheekbones and a voice deep as the night thrust her arm in his way carefully not touching him. "You should leave this place Midgardian, before the worthy take back what is theirs."

Bruce frowned at the heavy clothes Thor had given him and the elaborate chalice he was drinking some sort of terribly sweet juice from. "Excuse me?"

The first, obviously worse tempered of the pair's mouth twisted as though she wanted to spit. "The son of Odin cannot have interest in you, you vermin. The crowned prince is merely exploring other worlds thoroughly. You are but a creature one takes as a pet."

Bruce's hand tightened dangerously hard on his thankfully very solid cup. "Okay." He affirmed to just escape the steadily increasingly dangerous situation.

No such luck. Bruce had only caught Clint's eye before the angry woman swatted him with what appeared to be a miniature switch. "The exit is there, knave!" She shouted, bringing undue attention to the scene.

The chalice cracked and Clint and Tony were moving his way looking alarmed. That was the last thing Bruce remembered.

Bruce groaned, feeling the last of his organs slot into place. He swore that his rib cage was pinching his spleen. A shift. Ah, that was better. He was acutely aware of voices outside of the realm of his sore muscles and dully aching bones.

"Haven't seen him for like an hour."

"He just walked out after I talked to his mom and dad."

"Loki was grinning like the devil when he left."

Bruce's brow furrowed. "It wasn't Loki, guys. Those girls were just being bitches."

Natasha's soft hands were on Bruce's sides, pulling him up into a seated position in an instant. "Good, you're up. We weren't sure how much Hulk did during the brawl. There was a lot of hitting and smashing and-"

"Penis." Clint finished, grinning when the naked scientist glared up at him.

"You okay Luigi?" Tony asked, actually sounding worried for once.

"We might need to make a tactical retreat soon." Steve pointed out with his shield brandished before him.

Bruce rubbed his eyes groggily. "I attacked Asgard?"

"Only their royalty." Tony enlightened him.

"Thor pissed?"

"He might be. We haven't seen him since before the fight so..." Clint drifted off with his bow still out, looking ready for a fight any moment.

"The servants never got involved though. If we could just get a hold of one, they might be able to tell us where Thor is." Natasha surmised.

"We are not setting traps to catch people Natasha." Steve stated firmly crossing his arms over his uniform at the woman in the dark green dress.

"I didn't say that."

Clint gave his partner a skeptic look. "We all know where that was going."

Bruce glanced down the hall and waved tiredly at a woman carrying laundry. "I need some pants." He called out hoarsely. Hulk must have done a lot of roaring.

The woman looked puzzled before blinking down at the naked man's exposed pubic region. She smiled and approached, picking a pair of dark grey slacks from her bundle and handing it over with a wink. She turned away acting coy and giggled as she made off with the rest of the clothes, heedless of the Avengers calls asking where Thor was.

Bruce shook his head as he pulled on the tight fitting pants. That woman probably chose them on purpose. "I should think it's pretty obvious how we find Thor." Tony finally grumbled.

"How's that?" Steve asked, puzzled.

"A laundry lady with a poor grip on her pack load and a wandering eye. She definitely wants to see Bruce and Thor together. We turn left up there. Then, we just follow the breadcrumbs." The wealthy genius explained.

The ornate walls they passed were simply decorated but corridor after corridor, the intricacy grew. A sock here and a shirt there were their only clues but it was clear the servant was leading the Earthlings further into the palace proper. Bruce clung to the strong arm Clint had loaned him for support since the Hulk had left his knees wobbly. Then, they came up on a golden door left ajar with Odin's voice clearly amplified in the hall.

"The joke has ended my son. The humor is passed. I shall no longer sit idly by as you prattle about with those mortals. Such childish behavior is not befitting a future king of Asgard. You will concede and cease this farce before Midgard relies too heavily upon you. Your sense of duty to them is strong, but for your home, it must be stronger."

Thor sounded frustrated and for once, very much like the child Odin apparently saw him as. "Those mortals are my home. As you are concerned, they are very fitting of my princely behavior as they are the very beginning of my harem. And as such, I shall fight even my father for dominance over them."

The Avengers gaped at the wall with varying degrees of disbelief. A harem? Bruce felt his blood begin to boil once more for such a disturbing simplification of their relationship. Bruce would be damned before he was merely a meager part of someone's harem. The Avengers deserved better than that. It was basic human rights to be equal to one another. The angry scientist grit his teeth and controlled his breathing. Bruce would fucking smash Thor when he got his hands on him.

"They are no more fit as your harem as you are to take the throne. You have disappointed me. I'd sooner have your mother bear another son and put a babe on the throne than either you or your brother. You both show too much interest in insects when you should crane your neck to the sky and look to the kings."

"I see the king. I see a king who has lost touch with the people. Asgard is The Lord of the realms. Asgard is the power over all realms. All realms are your domain and they can only remain so as long as they remain connected. Those Midgardians may be mortals but they are my harem, father. They are to who I would weep. They are who I choose to keep. I do not desire Amphara, Amora, the enchantress, or any others among those you have chosen for me. As is my right, I shall keep my own harem."

Clint shivered a bit at the Asgardian's words. Bruce could feel the archer's skin crawl each time the word harem was spoken. By the twist of Steve's mouth and the fire in Natasha's eyes, they weren't thrilled at the notion either. Tony had the helmet of his suit down again and the hitch of his shoulder said their was an itch to fight running down his back. Bruce heard the other guy growl in the back of his throat.

"You shall remain on Asgard until you are dissuaded of such idle notions. What I do is for the good of our people." Odin asserted with a tone of finality.

Too bad Thor was not much for tones. "Do not forget who it was that first banished me to Midgard. It was not Loki who sent me to meet my destiny as a god among man. I shall return to Midgard with my harem and you should take it as a consequence of your hasty decisions." Thor said, sounding almost petulant.

In a moment, Thor was bounding through the door, looking surprised to see the other Avengers. "Come away friends, it seems our welcome here has grown thin." He commanded and the speechless Avengers obeyed with tight jaws and the deep desire to hurt the god.

"You will not be welcomed here so easily again, Thor!" Odin called behind them, echoed by Loki's disturbing laughter.

The ominous tones to their departure made the awkward silence easy on the way back the Earth. It made leaving the team simple for Bruce, who just wanted to organize his thoughts. But it made sleep impossible.

It only took less than a half an hour to a knock to come on his door. His usual welcome was replaced with his question of, "Who is it?"

"It's Steve-"

"-And Clint!"

The two blond's Bruce adored at the moment called out immediately. The curly haired man unlocked the door quickly and they bustled into the room. "Make me forget." Steve begged immediately.

Clint shrugged at the out of character request from his captain. "Let's get naked and rub up against each other." He suggested, closing the door behind him.

"What about the others?" Bruce asked, licking his lips nervously.

Clint cocked a smirk. "We were watching Nat and Tony having some weird sort of hate sex but I just can't deal with this shit yet. We need an intermediate. We need you Doc."

Bruce gave the young man a tight lipped stare. "Still not that kind of doctor."

Clint leaned in to tower over the doctor in a way that made his skin heat with a pleasured chill. "We don't need a doctor, Bruce. We need you and I know you want someone with you just as much as the rest of us. Please Bruce." All it really took to convince the scientist was the kiss that punctuated the little speech. Clint had a calculated passionate dominance about him that did it for the physicist.

"Steve needs something different than you or I." He pointed out breathlessly.

"Anything. I'm here for everything you've got, Doc." Clint stated resolutely.

The pair turned to the super soldier who was staring them down with parted lips. Steve had a tight T shirt on over his low slung grey sweat pants which had a slight bulge of interest in the front. Steve turned unsure eyes on the scientist and Bruce gave the man a caring smile. "What do you want Steve? Tell me what you need."

Steve licked his lips and his brilliant blue eyes flicked towards Clint nervously. "You know what I want. I just- Clint."

"What? You want me to leave?" Clint asked sounding positively heartbroken.

Steve grabbed the archer hard and wrapped his arms around him, securing the spy into place to plant the most incredibly lewd kiss onto his lips. "Stay." The soldier commanded giving the other blond another kiss. "I want you to- I want you inside of me. Both of you."

Clint blinked with a concerned expression. "At the same time?"

Bruce rubbed his eyes tiredly. "No."

"I don't think I can handle that. I'm pretty sure only Hulk can-" Steve blushed to his ears.

"Okay! Enough of that." Bruce cut in quickly. He loathed thinking that Hulk had any sort of relationship with his lovers. It was bizarre, worrisome, and just disgusting for him to imagine. He could barely imagine him with the superheroes. "Steve, get on your back on my bed. We'll take care of you."

Steve nodded obediently and climbed onto the bed looking like an anxious young man. Bruce smiled at him, catching Clint by the arm before the assassin could follow the other blond. "Should I get undressed or something?" Steve asked.

"No. Just wait a sec." Bruce replied, turning to Clint and lowering his voice. He spoke close to the man's ear to try to keep serum enhanced ears from hearing him while ensuring the hearing impaired man could still make out the words. "Steve likes a gentle touch and lots of attention. He needs positive reinforcement now after what happened. Just follow my lead and don't get aggressive. He wants this from you, from both of us. He needs it." His dark eyes turned to see the sprawled out man watching the pair with a face like a ripe tomato.

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to." Steve said, fiddling with the pillow in his lap.

Bruce saw the smile on the agent's face and recognized the understanding. Clint didn't need to be told why Steve wanted to see Bruce so badly after that. He was too smart for that, too observant. Clint could fit the facts together on his own. He knew Thor was one of the people Steve went to for care. He understood the betrayal the super soldier was feeling at being subjugated by the Asgardian. Bruce felt played himself. Icy blue eyes scanned the soldier with that sharp gaze. "You're so precious Steve. I'm here for you in any way you'll have me. I want to be here more than anywhere in the world."

Bruce smiled and moved along with the archer to climb onto the bed at Steve's left side. He ran thin fingers along the soldier's wrist and gently took the pillow away from the man, taking the blond's hand in his own. "Just relax Steve. We're here. We'll take care of everything."

He took the liberty of running his hand up the soldier's flawless abs under the tight snowy shirt and noted the SHEILD agent mirroring the action on the other side. Clint sure took following seriously, Bruce thought with a grin. It would be different with Clint here. He and Thor had never been alone with Steve together before.

Steve made a soft keening noise when Clint pulled off the other blond's shirt and the archer responded by running his strong fingers through Steve's combed back hair, murmuring. "It's okay. I'm here. I've got you Stevie."

Deep ocean blue eyes gazed adoringly up at the other blond even as the gap between the two closed and they sealed their lips together. Dark eyes watched the pair move against each other. Bruce let his hands run up the smooth taut skin of his prone lover's chest to circle his nipples with gentle thumbs. Steve's back arched slightly making Clint moan lowly into the lip lock. Nice and slow.

The scientist ran his fingers down perfect abs lightly, smartly shimmying each of the blonds' pants down to get at their erections. The archer pressed his body against their leader's and Bruce grinned as their cocks lined up together perfectly. He made a loose fist around the two shafts and pumped them together nice and slow.

The two blonds broke their lip lock letting out pleased noises. Clint shifted to move along with the easy pace visibly straining from the exertion not to go buck wild. Bruce licked his lips at the gorgeous sight of the two taut perfect bodies moving against each other so smoothly, showing off each twitching muscle. "Beautiful. You fit together so well. Just like it was meant to be."

Steve smiled at the physicist with eyes blown with lust. The SHEILD agent just snorted. "Would be prettier with you in the dirty mix."

Bruce let go of the pair to help them pull off their bottoms. After, he bent down to press a kiss to Steve's lips. The brunet cupped his lover's jaw in his hand as he thoroughly ravished the blond's mouth. Steve responded by following Bruce's lead and surrendering to the man's passionate whims.

A quiet snap jerked the couple out of their reverie when Clint popped open the lid of the lube. They turned to the archer who grinned sheepishly. "Didn't mean to interrupt. Don't mind me. I'll just be doing unspeakable things to Stevie's most personal places."

Bruce chuckled at that and then laughed a bit more at the adorable bashful expression the super soldier adopted. The scientist bent down again to box the man beneath him in and lavish more attention on his kiss plumped lips. The curly haired man broke off the kiss and feathered light brushes of his lips against the hard line of the jaw beneath him before sucking gently at the distal carotid hearing a choked groan from Steve.

"You're doing great babe. " Clint encouraged the bottom man. We're going to take such good care of you, make you feel real good. How's that?"

"M-more." Steve rasped making the throat beneath Bruce's lips tremble. The doctor smiled before sinking his teeth gently into the bruising area hearing the soldier's breath catch.

Bruce ran a calming hand over Steve's propped up thigh. He kissed his way further down to randomly mouth and suck the smooth skin stretched over hard muscle. The scientist's fingers were just creeping towards Steve's erection when Clint spoke excitedly. "You ready Cap?"

Brown eyes looked up at the sweaty face of the Avengers' leader to see the man nod vehemently with reddened cheeks. "Yes. Please Clint. I need this."

Clint nodded back, his icy eyes a million miles away. Bruce retreated to give the archer room to mount the soldier. Dark eyes were mesmerized by the view of two powerful bodies melding together perfectly, both finding bliss in the undulating union of their groins.

Bruce wasted no time unzipping his pants and fisting his own erection as he watched the archer slowly rock into Steve. He was trying to keep pace with the couple before him but quickly ditched the idea in favor of getting off before the pair.

Clint had Steve's legs propped up on his shoulders and his erect penis in hand. The soldier moaned with a shuddering breath, arching his head back with his jaw agape. Every grunt from the SHEILD agent and moan from the super soldier went straight to the scientist's loins. Bruce moaned when Clint bit Steve's calf and two sets of dilated blue eyes shot towards him.

The physicist blushed but pressed on and Clint groaned before picking up his thrusts. "Sorry Cap. I can't keep this up."

Steve ground his hips harder against the thrusting man's, keeping his gorgeous eyes pinned on Bruce. "Me either. Getting a little distracted."

"No fucking shit." Clint grunted.

Bruce gaped dumbly at the lurching muscular body of the archer as he pounded into his lover making Steve squirm with a wanton keen. Bruce's flesh heated when those patriotic blue eyes caught his own. He jerked himself faster, wishing he would have grabbed more lube and smearing his precum as far as it would go as his body lurched forward involuntarily. He and Steve both moaned loudly, Steve's back arching as he came, leaving ropes of cum on his powerful abs.

Clint picked up the pace as did the voyeur. Bruce watched as Clint grunted, burying himself deep inside the soldier to convulse. In response his own balls tightened and the pleasure mounted into glorious release. All three panted in the suddenly quiet room. Bruce grabbed Steve's hand and placed a kiss to his knuckles in a poor imitation of their prince. "Thanks." He muttered, hoping both realized he meant for coming to help him through the hurt.

Steve smiled and Clint pulled out looking tired. "And I thought you didn't like being watched." The archer smirked.

"It's not so bad when I'm the one being the creep." Bruce snarked back halfheartedly.

Clint looked past Bruce and the physicist froze before calmly righting himself and re fastening his pants. "At least you let us finish." Clint muttered somewhat gratefully as Bruce felt the eyes wandering along his body.

Steve groaned. "Don't you know it's polite to knock?"

Natasha was the one to answer and Bruce felt himself relax minutely. Nat and Tony, no Thor hopefully. "We did not know Bruce wasn't alone. When we asked, you two were together and Bruce was here. We thought we should include everyone since this is a team issue."

Bruce winced. "Then why bother coming to my room? Need the other guy?"

"Bruce-" Thor stopped when Bruce's breath caught nervously.

"I'm not here for your entertainment." He growled bitterly.

"Bruce- Steven- Clinton. Please, you must understand. I have so many obligations. There is much expected of me." Thor beseeched his lovers.

"Oh, go fuck yourself." Tony cursed while climbing onto the bed to huddle up next to his lab partner. Bruce instinctively returned the gesture for comfort as he turned to look back at the others.

Natasha was in full sweats, baggy, with damp stringy hair. She was intentionally trying not to attract attention. Tony was in a t and jeans, usual garb for him and Thor was still in his court garb. What had the god done while the others were together?

"Friends, please. You do not understand."

"We know the word 'harem' Thor." Clint groused.

"I merely meant, those I have chosen." Thor corrected, with his hands outstretched placatingly.

"And what about us. We chose you too. I can't believe this." Steve shook his head, looking disturbed.

"Aye. Allow me to prove to you- Allow me to be a part of your harem." The prince begged.

Bruce's brows rose as dark grins spread around the room. "I don't know about this." The doctor said weakly.

It had been two weeks and Bruce was still surprised to see a steaming mug next to him when he looked up from the compounds in his hand. The scientist smiled softly. It was unexpected to him, the order in which they forgave the Asgardian's misspoken words. Bruce was the first to forgive the prince of course. Tony was next, oddly. Who would have thought the billionaire would feel awkward having Thor wait on him hand and foot. The next to cave was Natasha. Bruce still couldn't believe Steve and Clint were still holding out.

Bruce blew on the hot liquid before taking a sip, appreciating how Thor now knew exactly how he took all of his drinks. "Thanks Thor. It's perfect." He craned his head back and to the side to shoot a smile at the suddenly subservient god.

Thor smiled back and Bruce noticed they were alone, it felt like it had been forever since they were last alone. "Clinton apologized." Thor filled him in.

Bruce smiled softly into his drink. "I'm surprised he said he was sorry. I thought we agreed it was a cultural misunderstanding."

"Is that the reason for your aloof attitude to my repentance?"

Bruce pursed his lips. "I haven't been aloof."

"I have not been granted your forgiveness." Thor rumbled and Bruce blinked at him in surprise.

"I forgave you as soon as you explained your problems with Odin. If that's why you are still acting this way then, I forgive you." Bruce said slowly.

Thor shook his head with a sad smile. "I thought myself, your better. I have held servants. I have insulted your honor and for that, I have yet to earn your forgiveness."

Bruce shook his head with a huff. "I forgive you."

"Allow me to serve you. If you have forgiven me, allow me to forgive myself." Thor requested.

Bruce felt his stomach turn uncomfortably at the memories from the last couple of weeks. Thor blowing Tony in the labs while the engineer worked. Thor doing Natasha's nails. Thor literally bowing to Clint and Steve. None of it was anything Bruce wanted. Thor just made him tea or coffee sometimes. Thor assisted him without being asked. Thor just did things for him. Steve was the only one left to accept Thor back into the clan, not Bruce.

Bruce took a sip of the peace offering. "What did you have in mind?"

"Allow me to serve you for the day to prove my belief in our equality."

Bruce frowned minutely. Thor wanted to prove himself. Bruce shrugged and wondered how long the guilt would last. He spread his legs invitingly. "I could go for a BJ." He said offhandedly.

Thor grinned and Bruce relaxed. Maybe some makeup sex was in order.


	2. Agent Hawkeye

Bruce dropped the last iris into the vase carefully and leaned back for a better view of his creation. The physicist pushed up his glasses with a grin. /Not too shabby./ He had not needed to arrange flowers in ages but he figured that since he had the time and resources, he may as well. The crystal vase Tony had on hand was far finer than Bruce ever had to work with in Rome but the curly haired scientist did not let the expense get to him any more. Plus, he had to admit, it looked captivating with blues, purples, and reds scattered strategically throughout the leafy green refractions.

The colors were meant to remain analogous and chosen because he figured all of his housemates could enjoy them when they made it back to the tower. Bruce was rather proud of the display, layered just so, just as the old florist had taught him. How many years had it been? He wondered if any of those people who helped him had ever recognized him as the man behind the Hulk. Maybe he should write them.

"Fantastic, Bruce Banner!" Thor boomed, still able to rattle the calm man with his enthusiasm.

"Yeah, they look great Luigi. Red roses, nice touch. Let's him know we still want to screw him senseless, even if he's all banged up from head to toe." Tony smirked while fruitlessly fluffing the arrangement.

Bruce disregarded the last comment. "Thanks. I did this for a living for a while." He snipped off a length of ribbon that matched the iris' petals perfectly. Deft fingers nimbly tied the fabric into a bow as the other two available Avengers converged onto the scene.

"You aren't seriously planning on carrying that into the SHEILD secured medical facility." Natasha deadpanned as Steve winced with an apologetic smile for the scientist.

Bruce smirked, checking his watch before responding. "Nope, not a SHEILD facility. I'm bringing them to a normal civilian hospital to my recovering boyfriend."

"Idiot!" Natasha fumed as she grabbed her coat from where it was draped across the coffee table on her way to the elevator.

Bruce hefted the vase awkwardly and followed the Russian's lead with the other men. "Hey wait a minute!" Tony exclaimed as the group caught up at the lift.

When Natasha stuffed her arms into her coat with narrowed eyes, Thor placed a grounding hand on the assassin's shoulder with a rumbling murmur. "What is the rush m' lady? Our Little Hawk's visiting session has yet to begin."

Steve cleared his throat, "So, Clint's been transferred to a civilian facility?"

"Exactly." Natasha bit tersely.

"Right. And the visiting hours don't start for nearly an hour, so why have we pressed our bitch buttons already this morning?" Tony asked.

The redhead gave her curious lovers a suffering sidelong glance. "SHEILD told you Barton was being moved?"

Bruce nodded, having to nudge his glasses back up his nose with his shoulder after. "We got an email about five this morning that his contact information changed so I gave him a call on the patient line. Why?"

Natasha raised a single eyebrow in disbelief. "SHEILD only moved him because they don't want to be responsible for what happens next."

Steve frowned. "What happens next?"

"Hawkeye falls out of the nest." She answered sharply.

Bruce shifted uneasily. "Clint promised he'd stay put. I told him we were coming."

The woman gave a bitter huff. "And you bought that? Uh-uh. The team will split up. We'll find him holed up somewhere in the city. Oh, and Bruce, leave the plant."

The Avengers broke apart on Natasha's direction and Bruce stooped to leave his creation on the floor of the elevator with a hollow feeling holding him in place. Bruce plucked a lone iris from the vase before finally making his way out onto the city streets. The physicist did not know where to look but he kept his gaze forward as he trudged through the bustling morning streets. Everyone was in a hurry to make it to their destination on time. Bruce turned into a building automatically knowing his beloved archer was within. The genius sat quietly, staring at his flower blankly. He felt so numb while he waited, he could barely think, let alone move.

A ping and a light went on, summoning the unlicensed doctor further into the hospital. The critical care unit was sparse compared to other wings Bruce had seen in the building. He drifted down the hall stoically and stepped into the room he was seeking. The iris twirled in the curly haired man's fingers as he sat quietly, unwilling to break the silence. Eventually, house keeping came to break it for him.

It was late evening when Bruce finally wandered back to Avengers tower finding the floral arrangement had been moved from the elevator to the table in the living room. The physicist placed his wilted flower in front of its brothers and sank back into one of the plush leather couches, letting the Avengers' talk wash over him.

"Where have you been?"

"Bruce, you look terrible! What happened?"

"It's your fault. You just had to pull one of you Hawkeye disappearing acts, didn't you? As far as I'm concerned, Bruce not turning up when you wanted him is just honest payback Barton. Now you know how you made the team feel."

"Did you even eat today?"

"Forgot my wallet." Bruce mumbled back.

"Why did you not return when we sent word of Brother Hawk?"

"Forgot my phone too." Bruce just stared at that silly flower he had kept out of water all day.

"Where have you been?"

"Got lost."

"Bruce?" Clint hazarded with a nervous tremor in his voice.

The dark eyed man blinked slowly before finally lifting his eyes to the bandaged blond laying across from him. The archer had a blanket draped over his body and a pout on his face. Bruce sighed. "I'm tired. I just want to sit and relax a moment. Is that so wrong?"

"You pissed at me too, Doc?" Clint whined.

Bruce shook his head. "No, I'm not mad."

Steve asked. "Are you hungry?"

"No."

"You okay, Big Guy?" Tony arched into his lab partner's line of sight and waved a hand in front of the other genius' face. "What's wrong? Say something."

"When did I lose my good sense?" The doctor asked.

"What are you talking about?" Tony hopped onto the couch next to his lab partner.

Bruce pressed his fingers against his closed eyes tiredly. He sighed. "When did I let you all cloud my judgement so much that I actually believe you when you say you're going to be somewhere. I actually thought about how messed up it was that everyone else just assumed Natasha was right and that Clint lied to us." /I guess I really wanted to believe I could trust them with anything./ "My mistake Nat. You were right."

"I- it's fine Bruce. Are you alright?" The spy's soft hand was at his neck, rubbing circles gently into his tense muscles.

The physicist sighed. "So how is the patient?" He asked no one in particular.

Clint rearranged the sheet covering him self consciously. "I'm alright Doc, honest. It's just a couple of scrapes, nothing that won't heal on its own."

Dark troubled eyes focused in on all seeing blue. "And you left because you just don't want anyone seeing you subpar." Clint's frown was all the confirmation Bruce needed. "So no one will be tending your wounds?"

"I'm fine Bruce. I don't need a doctor to know that everything will heal just fine on its own." The agent explained.

"So that is a no on seeing the damage." Bruce summed up.

"It's nothing to worry about, I swear." Clint promised again making the doctor's skin crawl.

Bruce forced a small laugh. "It's fine, really. If I was mad, we'd have a big green problem. I'm just rather tired. Thor, isn't it your dinner night tonight?"

The god frowned in concern. "Aye."

Bruce smiled back disarmingly. "Would you mind if I made something? I'm kind of in the mood to cook."

"I would be more than pleased to have your assistance this eve. Are you well enough to prepare din?" Thor asked.

Bruce allowed himself an eye roll. "Of course I'm well enough. I'm very well actually. Did you have anything in particular in mind?"

Thor pondered the question for a long moment before grinning. "This stir fry concoction still eludes my skills. May we have another go at the recipe?"

The scientist chuckled in response. "Stir fry barely qualifies as a recipe. I'm sure we have something to throw together. Actually, I think pork fried rice might be right up your alley if you'd prefer-"

Thor cocked his head to the side but Natasha was quicker to the draw. "Well if tonight is Asian, would you mind whipping up some peppered beef and broccoli? I've had a craving for it recently."

Bruce nodded brightly. "Of course. You should have mentioned it sooner. I'd have made it Monday."

Thor grinned. "Fried pork rice and Beef sounds divine! Let us prepare such a feast!"

Tony's lips quirked a bit at that and he nudged Bruce conspiratorially. "Beef always gets him going." He cracked. Bruce rolled his eyes, standing, but was caught by one of the inventor's hands on his arm. Tony pressed them together in what his lab partner assumed was a reassuring kiss. Bruce was learning to love the gentle scrape of facial hair against his chin when he pressed too close to one of his more manly lovers. More manly than Nat, that is. Tony released him looking super serious. "Movie night tonight, no exceptions. Gotta celebrate birdbrain's return. He may not be alive much longer after all."

"Hahaha- I'm not dying guys."

Natasha narrowed her eyes at her partner. "Not yet." She threatened darkly.

Bruce trailed gentle fingers over Clint's covered leg as he passed, humming for effect. "If anything else happens to Clint, I might get angry. Even you won't like it when I'm angry."

It was enough to dispel the tension in the room as laughter bubbled out of Clint, Thor, and Tony making Steve and Natasha shake their heads. The doctor just tugged their Asgardian prince along with him to the kitchen and set to prepping for dinner.

"You are not as well as you would imply." It wasn't a question.

Bruce sighed and turned away from the carrots he was rinsing. "Maybe not but I can't allow myself to get upset over every little thing."

"Deception from those you love is not a small matter." Thor spoke from experience.

So did Bruce. "It has to be when everyone lies to you."

"You speak of the Lady under the covers?"

Bruce looked to the heavens knowing they would do nothing to help. "Nat lies in bed. Other than the whole pain as a catalyst thing?"

"You all lie in bed."

"I stopped."

Thor gave the scientist and stern expression.

"I'm trying to stop." Bruce amended. He turned back to washing the vegetables. Broccoli next. The onions didn't need washing. "They don't feel the same way as me." Bruce observed.

He could feel the thunder god shaking his head. "Nay. It is impossible for our feelings to mirror one another. You wish to give so much but would take nothing in return." Bruce fumbled the head of broccoli into the sink at his lover's words. "I desire to have all of you, scalp to sole. We are only the same in that we love one another. Each of them- us would have you here and now if there was any sign you desired us."

"I always want you Thor. I'm just not sure about having sex with everyone in the next room."

"Why does being caught canoodling distress you so?" The god smiled broadly at his lover's blush as he leaned casually against the marble counter.

"It- I just." Bruce moved all of the dripping veggies to the cutting board and used the time to steel his nerves. "I don't mind getting caught. I just don't think they would appreciate... That."

Thor crowded up behind the doctor and ran strong fingers through his hair cocking his head to inhale the smaller man's scent on the other side. "I would appreciate it very much." The Demi god rumbled.

The physicist found it suddenly very hard to breathe and he was pretty sure it had nothing to do with the onions he had been chopping. He swallowed. "I uh- What about dinner?"

"It is my responsibility. I'm sure our loves will understand." Hot breath ghosted across Bruce's ear, tickling his hair tucked there.

The gamma irradiated man took a deep trembling breath feeling the god's hard body braced against his back. His hard everything melded so perfectly into the doctor's flimsy body. "God Thor. You know how irresistible you are, don't you?" He breathed shakily.

For once, the thunderous man leaned in close to whisper into the dark haired man's ear. His moist lips hot and addictive as they brushed against the sensitive flesh accompanied by the soft heated wind. "I will not make a sound. Let us see if we are caught."

When Bruce turned, he knew his pupils were blown wide with lust. When they kissed, he knew he tasted hungry, much more desperate than Thor. He always was. Making love with Thor was the most poetic thing the doctor had ever been a part of. The man was always in such control, it made keeping the Hulk under lock and key seem like child's play.

Thor ground their hips together tauntingly, the tightening fabric of their pants quickly becoming torturous. Bruce pulled back to pant desperately. "Wall- condoms. We can't contaminate the kitchen."

Thor grinned against the scientist's cheek in response. Kissing it and separating the two to obey his lover's requests. "Pick a wall but know it may not remain in the same condition we found it in."

Bruce heard the excited whimper of confirmation in his throat but refused to let the embarrassment bother him. In a minute nothing would matter besides the glorious pressure of Thor buried to the hilt inside of him. He scoped out the kitchen. He dismissed the flat surfaces due to possible food contamination. One wall had windows almost entirely across it which Bruce pointedly ignored the existence of. The final two walls were hard to decide between. One was eerily close to the table and the other had all manner of cooking implements hanging from it courtesy of Avengers being unable to find their favorite this or that. Bruce clambered to the wall and hurriedly pulled spoons and pots off of pegs to deposit on the table, wincing at the too loud clangs. He went back for a second trip, removing the wok and an oddly shaped spatula Clint was obsessed with but was caught between the wall and a hard place on the third trip. A very hard place.

The pair's lips melded together, tongues seeking to plunge deeper and taste everything. Bruce grabbed at the god's shirt, clinging as though Thor might just decide to stop in a moment. He whined quietly when the Demi god did just that. "The barriers Bruce."

/Fuck condoms./ He sealed his lips to suck at the crook of the god's neck. "Mhm." A familiar packet was placed in the doctor's hands and he could hear and feel Thor struggling with his own against him. Bruce's practiced fingers easily extracted the rubber and he dropped the packet carelessly to undo his pants and slip it on, glad that Thor had thought ahead and brought the extra one. Bruce quickly assisted Thor's fumbling fingers and helped him into the condom.

Their hips slotted together with well practiced ease and a little pain but Bruce would not be deterred as his lover rocked into him like the force of nature he was. The pain quickly faded as jolts of pleasure tickled Bruce's nerves. He could feel his pants sliding further down his legs at each thrust but didn't care, only pulling Thor closer with his wiry limbs. He clenched his body and bit his bottom lip, trying his hardest not to make a noise. Thor was true to his word and the only sound was their bodies meeting wetly and the light clinging of cooking instruments tapping against the metal wall. /Fuck./

The god gripped his lover's hips hard and pulled them toward his own, bruising the dark haired man's prostate with the force, drawing moans from the smaller man. Thor was relentless, attacking the sensitive spot as hard and quick as he could at the awkward angle. The noise escalated. Pans hitting the wall with resonating finality and noises unable to be held back escalated in volume and pitch up until the moment Bruce climaxed with his teeth digging into Thor's shoulder.

Bruce ran his fingers through his lover's slightly sweaty hair and kissed his neck apologetically as he came down, realizing that Thor had come with him against all probability. When the blond slid out, one leg came down first, searching, making sure it was safe to try supporting himself. It wasn't. Bruce toppled to one side and Thor chuckled endearingly as he caught his lover.

"I thought quiet was a steep goal."

Bruce blushed and glared up at the other. "You did that on purpose though."

"Aye. And as spoken on Migard, 'It was a worthy act.'"

Bruce chuckled back. "It was worth it."

Thor righted the pair's clothes and deposited Bruce on the countertop with a chaste kiss. "Your agreement pleases me." He announced while discarding their spent rubbers.

The human just shook his head and directed the alien in making dinner. He knew what Thor was doing. It was too transparent. Thor was distracting him from his displeasure with Clint. It was endearing how much Thor loathed his lovers to butt heads. Bruce didn't mind the play though. Being pressed firmly against the god was worth just about anything. Getting that charming smile as Thor spoon fed him tastes of 'their' dinner was somehow just as wonderful. Playfully helping his lover set the table for the meal was surreal still after the months they had been together. It was all incredible.

The dinner began with the normal chitchat about the food. Natasha liked to dissect every bit of the execution with Clint chiming in here and there while the others pretty much blindly praised whoever had cooked. Clint didn't want to talk food tonight though. "I can't believe you guys wouldn't let me go watch."

"No vent climbing for you!" Tony scolded.

"Best, kinkiest, kitchen sex ever." Natasha informed the apparent stars of said smut while taking a sip of her wine that involved far too much tongue.

"I hate you guys." Clint sulked.

Steve's face flushed when he spoke around some broccoli. "You should, it was amazing."

The physicist put down his fork and blushed. "You should have said something. We would have stopped."

"Which is why nothing was said." Thor informed him.

"Tony took the fucking suit out to go watch them." The injured archer ratted the genius out.

"My suit." Tony reminded everyone.

"Outside." Clint persisted.

"My tower." Tony insisted.

"With a camera." The blond finished undeterred.

"Tony!" Bruce spazzed, looking like he was going to have a fit.

The eccentric genius was quick to defend himself. "It was just my phone and only to get proof for Big Bird that these sorts of things do happen on the Street."

Clint's face scrunched up. "Sesame Street?"

"And what if someone were to hack your phone and get pictures of Thor having gay sex?" Bruce told himself there wasn't a whine in his voice when he said that.

"Airplane mode. Deleted. Obliterated. Okay, Oscar the Grouch?"

Bruce's frown cracked at the edges and the scientist sniggered. "Somehow I can't stay mad at you when you're making Sesame Street jokes."

"He's even green guys!" Tony pointed out.

Thor's brow furrowed. "What is Sesame Street?"

"It's a children's show." Natasha summed up.

"Ah, it is as the talking sponge, Robert!" Thor cheered, looking like he wanted to get up to go watch some children's programming now.

Natasha was ready to correct the thunder god. "Spongebob."

"Aye." Thor affirmed.

"I hate you guys." Clint repeated around a fork full of rice.

"Aw. But we love you!" Tony grinned. Bruce smiled at his lab partner conspiratorially when they caught each other's eye. Dinner was perfect. It allowed Bruce to unwind with his friends who were just as bitter as he was, it turned out. Poor Clint got nothing but teasing and the group teaming up against him all evening, even into the movie, "Brave". Bruce was sure it was chosen to bring more attention to the injured Avenger. He could not bring himself to feel any sympathy for the blond agent. Clint did have the honor of laying his head on Tasha's lap the whole movie after all.

That honor only lasted until credits rolled however. "Ow! Nat! Boo booed over here, remember?" The archer complained when the Russian abruptly stood after the movie and dropped his head on the sofa.

She turned back to him tersely. "Boohoo." She left briskly, with Steve on her heels. They had been signaling each other all night. Bruce smiled in spite of himself. He almost wanted to follow them.

"Doc?"

Bruce jumped when he was addressed while folding a fluffy blanket Tony had been curled up under with him less than a moment ago. He had not realized he had been left behind alone with the patient. The meticulous scientist smoothed the soft fibers down against the back of the love seat. "Yes Clint?"

"It was nothing against you. I just didn't want them heightening security. You saw, I can't even walk by myself. They could have made it hard to get out if I would have told you I was discharging myself." The agent explained, looking troubled by his current condition. Bruce supposed not being able to escape a civilian hospital might be a big thing for spies.

The physicist shelved his feelings, keeping his countenance stoic. "I told you. It doesn't bother me."

"Yeah." Clint swallowed something that sounded like a sniffle and Bruce looked at him, really looked at him for the first time since the agent came back from the East.

The archer was mostly concealed by his covering. He had even taken the sheet to dinner with him when Natasha and Steve helped him to the table. Bruce had noted how Clint was really supporting himself with his formidable upper body strength across the others' shoulders when the younger man entered. He knew there must be pretty bad damage to Clint's legs for the male to show such weakness even to his team. Maybe, especially to his team. All Bruce could see was a steri strip across the blond's brow.

The doctor frowned, his brows knotting up in concern. "You want me to examine you?"

The younger man's lip quivered. "No."

Bruce looked around the otherwise vacant room, trying to find something to wipe the pathetic expression from his boyfriend's face. "How about some anesthesia?"

Clint worried his lower lip, his eyes big, blue, and so vulnerable. "I don't know if I should." He admitted.

Bruce sighed and grabbed a pillow to cradle the blond's head on before settling down next to it and gently petting the archer's short hair. "I don't know what you want me to do here."

The agent did sniffle then. "I want you to care."

Bruce blinked at nothing before turning back to the distressed face of his lover. Clint's brow had been creased in pain at every little shift. The man clearly was not used to his injury. The thought made Bruce worry. He was under the impression Clint had gotten every sort of injury before. He bent down to press a kiss to the hurting man's temple. "I do care." He said softly.

Clint frowned up at him looking like a broken child. Bruce wished he couldn't identify that look or why Clint would have it. "You don't act like it." The SHEILD agent pointed out. "Do you really like me or am I just part of the package?" The blond had a way of turning his insecurities into accusations that made Bruce's skin crawl.

"I love you Clint." He admitted quietly. "If I didn't, you wouldn't make me so crazy all the time."

"So you're not going to leave me?"

Bruce huffed a disbelieving laugh. "I wouldn't leave you unless I had no other choice." He assured the suddenly vulnerable man.

"What if I wasn't a man anymore?" The younger man whimpered.

Bruce shook his head. "Well we still love Natash-a what?"

Clint frowned and averted his eyes from the scientist. "I don't know what I'm going to do Bruce. My- oh god! Don't tell the others." He begged with his eyes squeezed shut.

The doctor took a moment to process what his lover was saying. Clint was hurt... Fuck! "Jarvis, make sure we have complete privacy please." Bruce requested.

"Already done Dr. Banner. All other tenants are occupying themselves at the moment but feeds from this room have been disabled. I will alert you if your privacy is compromised."

"Thank you, Jarvis." Bruce moved to kneel next to Clint's laying form. He ran his fingers gently over the blond's clothed arm. "Please let me examine you. I might be able to help, at least with the pain."

"So now you care?"

Bruce retracted his hands before he had a chance to shake his obstinate friend. "I always cared damn it! I just can't let this sort of shit get to me. Now let me see where you're hurt."

Clint peered curiously at his curly haired friend for a long moment as if seeing the man for the first time. He shifted onto his back and spoke once his piercing blue eyes were turned the other way. "Kay doc." He uttered weakly.

Bruce pulled the cover off of his lover's chest first. Cataloging the literal scrapes and small gashes caused by barely scathing shrapnel was easy for the genius. He admired the neat work done by the SHEILD doctors barely feeling his nervousness for the bottom half. The abdomen was just about unharmed. Bruce recalled the report by Black Widow mentioning frontal damage done by a pipe bomb and marveled dumbly at the lack of damage. Clint must have had his bow drawn in front of him.

The sheet came off of the patient's pelvis shakily and the bandages, no less so. The first thing Bruce noted was that the surgeons had been around there already with the proper care and that everything appeared clean and in working order. Then the dark haired man actually took stock of the damage and couldn't help the laugh that poured out of him.

The next day found Clint in a nest of sheets on Bruce's bed. The team medic approached the wounded hawk with clean linen and a sponge. "You had me going there." The doctor admitted with an easy grin.

Clint frowned with a blush, looking like the princess and the pea with all those pillows beneath him. "I thought it was going to fall off or something and you just laughed, you tremendous asshole."

"It wasn't so big when I first met the Avengers." He quipped back as he cleaned the broad scrape across Clint's abs.

The blond grunted. "If you say so. I never thought I'd walk normal again."

Bruce grinned. "Neither did I."

"I'm talking about my dick, you ass."

Bruce bit his lip to keep from laughing. "Me too."

"Not in relation to your hole."

"Oh?" The brunet chuckled as he was swatted by the archer. "We were totally talking about different things then."

Clint scowled. "I know."

Bruce couldn't help but laughing again as he leant up to kiss the princess. "I told you I'd keep your secret. Now stop whining or I'll change my diagnosis."

"You're an asshole." The blond muttered against Bruce's lips.

* * *

Hello all. I just decided to post this a day early so I don't forget. If you want a teaser for the end of this story, let me know. It is just that, a teaser. Have a great weekend!


	3. Dr Banner

3\. Bruce

Bruce's heart raced as he ran the simulation again and again. He felt giddy like he was in some sort of dream, praying he would never wake up. The chances still were not one hundred percent but they were enough for him. They were enough to make the procedure worth it.

"Jarvis, don't tell anyone. I want to be the one to do it." The physicist commanded.

"I must advise against this course of action." The AI responded.

Bruce grinned. "Eighty-seven percent may be as good of a chance as I'll ever get."

"I was not referring to the rate of success, Dr. Banner."

Bruce laughed a bit. "Just keep quiet about it, will you."

"Of course Dr. Banner. Do you still want to place the order for dinner?"

The curly haired man checked his watch. "No thanks. I think I'll make something special tonight." He replied happily, peeling off his lab coat and tossing it onto a bench.

Natasha had just sat quietly on the floor watching the physicist bustle about the kitchen for the second half of dinner preparation. Most of the rest of the guys appeared just before dinner and they all sat at the carefully made up table with the redhead whispering lowly. Bruce grinned at everyone as he set another dish or two in the center of the table. He could swear he heard Clint whisper something about Christmas when the doctor put the sweet potato casserole on the table.

Bruce was about to ask Jarvis to call Tony up to dinner when the genius arrived on his own. "Holy shit!" Tony announced himself, looking awed.

Bruce blinked at the twenty or so dishes laid out on the table. "I guess I did get a little carried away."

Tony gawked at the other genius. "You think? Is today Thanksgiving?"

"Natasha and Steven have already assured us, it is neither the day of giving thanks nor Krissmus." Thor replied, eyeing the roasted lamb.

Clint frowned at the physicist. "Did you drink only expresso today or what?"

"My money's on speed." Natasha stated.

"I'm not on uppers." Bruce laughed and sat down. "Oh! I forgot drinks."

He started to stand but Natasha forestalled him. "I'll get them. Who wants wine?"

"I do." Bruce said immediately earning him nervous stares all around.

Natasha leaned against the liquor cabinet and Tony scooted away from the doctor warily. Bruce gave them all a withering glance as he stood, saying. "It's me, not Loki or anything else that might be going through you minds."

"Bruce doesn't drink." Steve stated emphatically.

Bruce nudged the woman out of the way to the liquor cabinet shaking his head. "I took the gamma blockers today."

"Why?" Clint asked.

The physicist smiled at his friends. "Because I wanted to work on something without the other guy looking over my shoulder." He set a few bottles of wine on the table, sitting down again and beckoning Natasha to join them as he poured himself a glass.

"Why would you want to work on something without the Hulk?" Steve inquired as Natasha took a seat.

Bruce shook his head ruefully. "So- so many reasons. Come on, dig in. Let's celebrate."

Natasha shook her head. "Not until you eat first."

"What cause have we for celebration?" Thor asked.

Bruce grinned and started grabbing a little of everything for his plate and made sure to take a bite of each little pile. He even uncorked the wine and took a sip to show it was safe to the best of his knowledge.

Steve gaped. "I don't think I've ever seen Bruce eat meat. Hulk, yes. Bruce, no."

"I have." Clint and Tony said in unison with perverted smirks that made the patriot blush.

Bruce beseeched his friends. "Come on. Eat. I made it special for you."

Clint poked the lamb. "And that doesn't sound ominous at all."

Thor shrugged. "If Bruce Banner has prepared a feast, I shall gladly partake." He said helping himself to the lamb and slices of baked ham Bruce had just decided to throw into the oven. Then he noticed some beef strew and grabbed a bit of that as well.

Icy blue eyes still remained trained on the physicist's smiling face as the team archer snagged some lamb too. Clint sniffed the meat then the sweet potatoes, like they might be poisoned or maybe explosive. "Why did you make special food tonight?" The blond asked while dissecting his meal with the sharpest knife he could get a hold of.

Natasha held her glass of wine up to scrutinize against the light. "This doesn't seem safe. Thor, stop eating. Bruce, explain."

The physicist pouted before wiping his face with a napkin. "It isn't- Okay. I was going to wait but since you insist, I have wonderful news." Bruce announced.

"What news is this?" Thor inquired while wiping his mouth on his sleeve.

Bruce looked over each of their expectant faces in turn, barely concealing his excitement. "I found a cure." He proclaimed having to consciously keep from bouncing in his seat.

"A cure for what?" Steve asked.

"Cancer?" Tony guessed.

"AIDS?" Clint supplied.

Natasha's eyes widened in horror. "Oh no. You didn't."

Bruce grinned. "I found a cure for the Hulk." He clarified.

Expressions dropped into troubled worry and confusion. Clint's eyes darted nervously before he asked in a controlled agent's voice. "Is the Hulk sick?"

The doctor's brow furrowed. "What? No. I found a cure for the Hulk."

"That's what I thought you said." Steve sighed, standing from the table, his shoulders tense like he needed to hit something. Hard.

Bruce lifted his hands before letting them fall in exasperation. "I said I found a cure. Why am I the only one excited about this?"

Natasha's mouth tightened like she wanted to spit. "Well, considering Clint and I just recently devoted our talents to fighting unnecessary homicide, it seems perfectly reasonable that we'd be a little upset someone is plotting it in our own home."

"What are you talking about? I found a cure! The killing will stop." Bruce articulated slowly so the words could sink in.

"I can't believe this." Clint stood too. "If anyone needs me, I'll be at Walmart, shooting the birds in the parking lot."

"Wha- what about dinner?" The physicist fumbled.

Icy blue eyes shot at dark brown menacingly. "Fuck you and your dinner."

"You would... Kill friend Hulk." Thor questioned haltingly.

Bruce stood and braced his hands on the table for support. It really was not this complicated. "He isn't a person, Thor. He isn't my friend. He is a volatile extension of my psyche. I'm not killing anything."

"Tell me you haven't done anything yet." Natasha requested.

"Well, no. The treatment would take a while and I'd need continuous monitoring. I just decided the cure was worth the risk this afternoon. This is outstanding! What's your problem?" He blurted out.

"Our problem is you, Bruce. How could you even think about doing this? The Hulk is our friend and you want to just- kill him!" Tony yelled, his face red with rage.

Bruce recoiled, collecting himself the way he had learned over years of repression. "Who do you love?"

"Bruce-" Steve began, only to be cut off by the physicist.

"No Steve. It isn't a tough question. Who is it that you love, me or the other guy?"

Thor had tears making small trickles down his cheeks that Bruce had not noticed earlier. "Why cannot we not love both?"

The doctor felt pain spike through him at those words. It felt like he was bleeding out suddenly and it was great, relieving the pressure. "I guess that's my answer." They love him, not me.

"Well right now, only one of you isn't contemplating murder." Tony pointed out. "Let me give you a hint, the crazy one isn't the physical entity of rage. Seriously Bruce, you're foaming at the mouth right now."

Bruce crossed his arms obstinately and Natasha threw her wine glass to crash against the bar on the other side of the room. "So now that you have everything you want, you're done with him? Is that it?" The redhead seethed.

"He's an Avenger." Steve reminded the physicist.

"I thought I was an Avenger." Bruce growled back, seeing green though the beast could not get past the gamma blockers.

Clint barked a bitter laugh. "That's like saying my bow is an Avenger. You wouldn't even be on the scene without him."

"Tony's an Avenger."

"Tony has a suit." Steve bit out.

Bruce narrowed his eyes. "I could have a suit. I could recreate the serum. I could do any number of things to be just as powerful as any of you!"

"You do not understand."

Bruce banged his fist against the table and pointed threateningly at Thor. "No, you don't understand. You have no clue what it's like living with him every day. Keeping him contained. Keeping him and everything else bottled up for years. You haven't got a clue what it's like."

"You speak of killing our love." Thor cried.

"You know what's crazy? For a minute there, I actually thought you loved me."

"That is crazy." Clint agreed readily.

"I'm starting to think so too." Steve affirmed.

Tony spoke in a level, quiet voice like a judge at sentencing. "Who could love a murderer?"

Bruce threw down his chair and stormed out of the room. It was clear he wasn't wanted there anymore anyway. He got lost in a blind rage but eventually found himself tucked away safely in his lab with the first step of gamma dampening injection in his hand. He couldn't do it on his own. That was the only thing stopping him. He twirled the needle slowly around his blunt fingers. The machines whirred around him, synthesizing the next batch of drugs and the one after that. If Tony decided to cut his funding, Bruce would at least have his cure.

The doctor gripped the heavy lead needle barrel in his palm until his knuckles were white. What right did they have to judge him? They didn't know what it was like having that shadow over their heads. They were always in control. They had no clue what it was like, living with that monster inside of them.

So many lives wasted. His own life... Bruce slammed his knuckles against the ledge of his steel table top. He cursed through his clenched teeth. He abandoned the syringe to fetch the hazardous waste contamination kit to clean the mess of blood he left behind him. He stooped to dig in a locker just for his unique brand of contamination and paused when he heard his blood drop to the floor there. He hadn't expected there to be that much blood.

The brunet looked down, surprised to see water on the floor. No, not water, tears. He scrubbed at his face and stared blankly at the salty liquid. He couldn't remember the last time he'd cried like this. Why now?

"I can see this is important to you." Steve remarked while Bruce continued to just stare at his own fingers. "Thor- Thor told me to talk to you, so I'm here to tell you in person. I'm leaving. "SHEILD found me a nice little place in DC. They offered it before and I'm going. I can't watch you do this. I can't be here knowing what you're doing. I don't know when I'm coming back. Not sure how I'll feel about you when I do. Bruce? Are you listening? Fucking son of a bitch! Imma knock your block off when I get back."

Bruce flinched when the door slammed. Steve- leaving. "Wait." It was weak and far too late. The scientist slumped weakly to the floor.

"Dr. Banner." Jarvis interjected after a long moment of said doctor staring blankly at nothing.

Bruce sniffled. "Yes Jarvis?"

"Further analysis suggests faulty assumptions pertaining to the regenerating genomes. Would you like me to run some simulations under strained parameters?"

The human sobbed pathetically.

"Dr. Banner?"

Bruce woke up the next morning tucked in on the cot stashed in the corner of his lab. His head ached, revolting against even the dim emergency lighting. His stomach roiled, making him wretch as it often did after he took gamma blockers. His mind complained as the physicist tried to picture how he came to be on the stretcher. "Jarvis." He groaned in the muted light.

"Bruce Banner." Said a familiar voice that seemed so out of place at the moment. It certainly did not belong to the AI.

"Thor?" Bruce croaked.

Dark eyes craned upward, squinting against the pain in his throbbing head. The Asgardian looked down on the human, judging and ruling guilty for all his faults. "You have not eaten since eve last. How much harm do you intend yourself?" The blond accused.

"Could you repeat that in English?"

Thor sneered in disgust. "I'll not carry you nourishment as I have provided bed. Get up, face your day."

"My day?" Bruce echoed dumbly blinking at his possibly only friend.

"Aye. It is you who have made your days and it is you who must face their trials. I'll not fight your battles. Do not stoop so low to disgrace yourself with this- behavior." He spat the last word like Bruce's 'behavior' was the worst possible reaction to the problem, to any problem.

Bruce groaned again when the lights in the lab came on and squeezed his eyes shut. "Don't they have sulking where you come from?"

"Aye, and it is revolting." The doctor winced at every stomp as the god made his way out of the lab, loudly.

"Jarvis, lower the lights please." Bruce requested in a rough voice.

"I have been instructed not to mind any of your requests Dr. Banner." The AI informed him.

Bruce threw his arm over his eyes. "When did Tony come up with that?"

"The request was made by master Odinson and will be lifted after your body has been properly nourished." Jarvis explained.

The brunet shifted to his side and curled into a morose little Bruce ball, feeling tears prickling at his dark eyes once more. Thor wanted him to face the fate he made. How fitting. He wiped his brown eyes dry and made his way to the kitchen, step by excruciating step to find something to eat. As fate had it, Bruce had not restocked his own refrigerator for about a week so his only choice was the communal kitchen where the team archer was going at his bow with a specialized screwdriver.

Bruce paused and shuffled awkwardly for a moment before taking a deep breath. "Good morning Clint." He greeted quietly like a dog with its tail between its legs.

The blond shoved his tools and weapon out of easy reach before turning those focused eyes on the scientist in full glare. "Morning? Try again genius. It's after four PM."

Bruce cleared his throat awkwardly, nervous at the cold tone he had only ever heard the SHIELD agent use in interrogation. "Right, sorry."

Clint huffed bitterly. "THAT you're sorry for?" His laugh was hollow. "Are you insane? Nat left sometime during the night, do you even know that? You know you chased off Steve too. No one wants to be with a psychopath like you. Fuck! I don't even know what I'm still doing here. Someone's gotta keep Tony from drowning in the toilet I guess. Do you even know how fucked up you are?"

"Yes." The older man instantly responded.

"Of course you don't! You- What?" Clint's voice blessedly dropped and octave when he paused. The agent shook his head and the glare was back in an instant. "Oh know you don't. You're not pulling that sad sack shit on me this time. Oh poor Bruce. He has the Hulk living in his head. Naive Bruce didn't know what the serum would do. It's all bullshit! No one is that stupid. You did this to yourself and now you have to live with it damnit!"

"Okay." Bruce weakly said.

"Okay? Seriously? That's it. You're just going to roll over now? What the fuck?" Clint retorted with a scoff.

Brown eyes drifted to the side. I'm the monster, not the other guy. I'm the freak. He's a hero. I don't deserve this anyway. "You love him, don't you?"

Clint blinked, in shock for a moment. "Of- of course I love him. What sort of a question is that?"

Bruce bite his lip and looked up. Clint was staring at him intently now. "I didn't get it. What makes him so- and me..." He turned away.

"And what? You don't think we love you as much as him?" Clint asked incredulously.

The physicist shrugged noncommittally.

"That's like comparing Tony and Thor. Thor may be as big a horse but Tony's hysterical. It's just totally different. Do you like them more than me?" Clint didn't sound like he wanted to hear the answer.

Bruce frowned up at the other man, not knowing exactly when the blond stood. "Of course not. It's just..."

"Different." They finished in unison with the slightest smiles tugging at their lips.

Clint turned to rummage through the fridge. "So I guess you expect me to fix you something to eat since you're not gonna murder my favorite ogre?"

"Yeah. That is exactly what was going through my head." Bruce gibed feeling lighter.


End file.
